Photo: Julia Kivelä
Photo: Maris Grunskis
Photo: Maija Holma
Photo: Tero Takalo-Eskola
Photo: Tero Takalo-Eskola
Kuva: Tero Takalo-Eskola

2 hours

Bike Journey to Alvar Aalto

Alvar Aalto (1898–1976),one of the best-known Finnish architects and designers in the world, lived and studied in Jyväskylä. In total, there are nearly 30 buildings designed by Alvar Aalto in the Jyväskylä region – ranging from his earliest work to designs made during his final stages. These include both private properties and public buildings, such as the Jyväskylä City Theatre, the University campus and AaltoAlvari Aquatic Centre. Alvar Aalto bicycle tour lets you see the centre of Jyväskylä, while showing off the archi-tecture of Alvar Aalto in different city districts.

See route

Vehicle

  • By bike

  • Walking

Duration

2 hours

Length

6,8 km

Currently, Jyväskylä is known as a city of sports, and the region offers varied bicycle and hiking trails for people of all skill levels. What better way to see the works of the renowned architect than a bicycle tour? The beautiful lake landscape colours the hilly terrain, and the region offers a number of bicycle and hiking trails popular among the locals.

Our Alvar Aalto bicycle tour lets you see the centre of Jyväskylä, while showing off the archi-tecture of Alvar Aalto in different city districts. The bicycle tour starts at the Aalto2 -museum center (number 1 on the map), continuing to the centre of Jyväskylä and towards the lake landscapes of Taulumäki and Viitaniemi. The tour then returns to the city centre, visiting the University of Jyväskylä, one of the most architecturally interesting campus areas in Finland.

Map & tips

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Route description

Attractions

  • Aalto2 Museum Centre

    The Aalto2 Museum Centre, renewed in 2023, combines two buildings designed by architect Alvar Aalto: The Alvar Aalto Museum and the Museum of Central Finland.

    Alvar Aalto Museum
    Alvar Aalto finalised his designs for the museum building in 1973. In accordance with the original designs, the exhibition space on the first floor is divided into areas with movable partitions. The highest part of the hall has slatted pine panels on the walls, resembling the wall structure of Finland’s pavilion at the New York World Fair, designed by Aalto in 1939. All furniture in the museum is designed by Aalto. Originally, the museum specialised in architecture and visual arts. Today, it focuses on fostering the heritage of Alvar Aalto.

    Museum of Central Finland
    The Museum of Central Finland serves as the city museum of Jyväskylä and the provincial museum of Central Finland. This white plastered building was completed in 1961, in accordance with Aalto’s designs. The museum was renovated and an extension was added between 1988 and 1990, designed by Alvar Aalto & Co, Architects. Since then, the overall appearance and environment of the building have changed considerably. The most recent renovation took place in 2017-2020.

    Aalto2 museum center in Jyväskylä.
    Photo: Maija Holma

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  • Casa Laurén 1925–1928

    Alvar Aalto designed the building for two families in 1925. The building was named by the owner Hjalmar Laurén, who lived in the biggest apartment with his family. In the smaller apartment lived the family of shoe factory owner Pulkkinen. Interesting themes of the house were for example high staircase, classical arcadian roofs, a fence with decoration and an arch gate. Since the 1950´s the building was changed little by little, and for a long time it was very difficult to find Aalto´s design in the house.

    However, during 2019 the Casa Laurén was renovated following Aalto’s plans. Now the building is again an apartement building, a wooden one, and one can see again for example the arcaded stairways at both ends of the building.

    Casa Lauren, a wooden building designed by Alvar Aalto.
    Photo: Miia Haapaniemi

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  • Jyväskylä Administrative and Cultural centre 1964–1982

    Jyväskylä Police headquarters (nowadays called Tietotalo) (1976-80), Administrative building (nowadays called Rakentajantalo) (1967-78) and City theatre (1964-82) are all that was carried out of Aalto´s original scheme for the town centre. The second phase of the administrative building, a striking, high-rise ”council tower”, was never built. Police headquarters was the first building to be finished. City theatre was finished in 1982, eight years after Alvar Aalto´s death by supervision of architect Elissa Aalto. Before that year, the theatre was located in the Worker´s Club, another building designed by Aalto.

    Can you find? There’s a signature of Alvar Aalto on the wall of the building.

    Alvar Aalto location - the City Theatre building
    Photo: Tero Takalo-Eskola

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  • Defence Corps Building 1926–1929

    Aalto secured the commission for the Jyväskylä Defence Corps Building by an architectural competition. The building housed originally for example a market hall, a cinema, a grand assembly hall (´sala azzurra`) with theatre stage, a restaurant and office facilities. The building shows Aalto´s stylistic transition from classicism to functionalism, the former still visible in the decoration detailing, the latter in the layout, elevations and floor plan.

    A complete renovation of the Defence Corps Building was finished in 2020. During the renovation for example the facade was painted with the orginal grey color.

    The Defence Corps building located in Jyväskylä centre in Lakeland Finland.
    Photo: Miia Haapaniemi

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  • Nikolainkulma

    Alvar Aalto’s first architecture office existed in the basement of the contemporary city hotel. Even though the office was really simple, on the fence just outside the office stood with huge letters: ”THE ALVAR AALTO OFFICE FOR ARCHITECTURE AND MONUMENTAL ARTS”.

    Two people walking in front of a Nikolainkulma.
    Photo: Julia Kivelä

  • Workers’ Club 1924–1925

    The Jyväskylä Workers´Association theatre and assembly building was Aalto´s first major public building. An open Tuscan colonnade at street level supports the self-contained theatre on the upper floor. The restaurant and café on the lower floor have been fully remodelled, and all other interiors were renovated and restored in 2008. The Workers´Club is the key work of Aalto´s classical period, and it represents typical classicism of the 1920´s with its renaissance influences.

    Did you know? The building is called as Aalto´s version of the famous Doge´s Palace in Venice. The colour scale of the building and interiors follows the colours found in Pompeii excavations. If you can´t go in, you can find the colours near the entrance – just look up!

    Jyväskylä workers' club's upper floor foyer wall
    Photo: Tero Takalo-Eskola

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  • Renovation of Nuora House 1923–1924

    Nuora House was originally one-and-a-half storeys high, with a log-walled lower section and a weatherboarded upper section. Aalto converted it into a two-storey residential and commercial building with projecting stairways and balconies. The wide eaves and window frames give the building a distinctly classical appearance.

    Photo: Emilia Lindelöf

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  • Viitatorni 1957–1962

    Viitatorni is thirteen stories high, housing some 70 flats. This high-rise block of flats is a unifying landmark in the low-rise garden suburb of Viitaniemi. The asymmetrically staggered elevation overlooking Lake Tuomiojärvi gives the building its emphatically vertical form. Because of its appearance this 39 meters high building was the highest building in Jyväskylä until the year 2002, when the Innova Tower was completed.

    Did you know? Viitatorni is also called as ”Aalto´s Tusk” because of its figure.

    Viitatorni in Viitaniemi, Jyväskylä, designed by Alvar Aalto
    Photo: Tero Takalo-Eskola

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  • Aira House 1924–1926

    This three-storey brick building – commissioned as housing for railway workers – was Aalto´s first attempt at a block of flats. It was also one of the first block of flats in Jyväskylä. With its symmetry it represents Aalto´s classical period in the 1920´s. Aira House contains 18 flats of identical size. The building has several classistic details, such as the ornamental downspots and arched entrances.

    Can you find? There are lots of small beatiful details in this building. Look very carefully!

    Aira building in summer
    Photo: Tero Takalo-Eskola

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  • Jyväskylä University Seminaarinmäki Campus 1951–1971

    In 1951 Aalto won an invited competition for the extension of the Institute of Pedagogics. From then until the 1970’s the campus was progressively extended in line with Aalto’s proposal. The main building is treated as an extension of the main street leading out from the town centre. The windows in the entrance hall provide views of the surrounding landscape. The eye-catching rar elevations and surrounding pinewoods form an enclosure around a classically inspired ceremonial court. Park and sport fields form the centre of the campus.

    Can you find? When Aalto joined the competition, he used a latin pseudonym ”Urbs” meaning the city. Aalto has also placed the buildings in the nature like it was a small city!

    Photo: Maris Grunskis

  • Villa Karpio 1923

    Commissioned by the Karpio family, the renovation of this Villa was among the first assignments secured in Jyväskylä by Aalto’s architectural office. Aalto’s original proposal was carried out in considerably reduced scale. Situated on a slope, the single-storey building features a front veranda adorned by classically styled wooden columns. The villa retains its original appearance.

     

    Photo: Emilia Lindelöf

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